Two Ugandan TikTok users, 21-year-old David Ssengozi, known as Lucky Choice, and 28-year-old Isaiah Ssekagiri, have been remanded to Kigo prison on charges of insulting President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis ordered their detention until 13 November, when they will make an initial court appearance, BBC reports.
The pair face charges of hate speech and spreading malicious information aimed at the first family and musicians associated with the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Both men denied the charges during their Monday court appearance.
A third individual, 19-year-old Julius Tayebwa, has also been remanded for similar offences.
Prosecutors allege that the accused shared content on TikTok intended to “ridicule, degrade, demean, and promote hostility” towards the first family and others.
“You will come back on the 13 November, when the case will come up for mention. You are remanded at Kigo prison till then,” Magistrate Amabilis instructed.
Police spokesman Rusoke Kituuma warned in September that insulting the president, whom he described as the “fountain of honour,” was punishable by law. He cited Lucky Choice as under investigation, and he was subsequently arrested.
It remains unclear which specific post triggered the arrests, though a TikTok video titled “My First Enemies,” posted in April on the account LuckyChoice70, reportedly included explicit remarks about the first family.
In a similar case in July, a 24-year-old man was sentenced to six years for insulting the president and first family on TikTok. He pleaded guilty and requested forgiveness.
The Ugandan government has faced criticism for allegedly limiting citizens’ ability to critique state actions.
A US report last year condemned Uganda for restricting internet freedom through criminal penalties, and rights groups frequently accuse Ugandan authorities of curbing freedom of expression.
In 2022, award-winning author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was charged with “offensive communication” for unflattering comments about the president and Gen Kainerugaba on Twitter.
Rukirabashaija fled to Germany after a month in jail, claiming he had been tortured.
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